1502
Photographed at Portsmouth on 31 July 2010
Designed by the master of fast craft marine architects, George Selman, some 54 of this type were built as Mid craft by British Power Boats between 1940 & 1943, and 27 were later built to the slightly improved MkIA specification. Eight of the Mk1 craft, including both craft on display at Marchwood, were subsequently converted to the MkIA specification. Post war a further 6 craft were built by Thornycroft to plans supplied by the Air Ministry, obtained from British Power Boat when they closed down. Like his larger 68ft HSL (the Hants & Dorset), Selman's ST was to become the standard craft of its type post war. The 41½ ft ST's were also known as the "Broad Beam" type and they were redesignated as Range Safety Launches (RSLs) in later service.
The hull was of wood, designed on the hard chine principle with single diagonal mahogany side planking and double diagonal bottom planking, also of mahogany, on frames. The superstructure was fabricated from wood and extended aft from the wheelhouse to the cockpit. The superstructure roof was of Flexopy, covered with canvas and supported by mahogany beams. All the craft were powered by twin Perkins S6M diesels, Meadows gearboxes and direct drive to Nickel Aluminium propellers. Later craft had a fuel capacity of 130 gallons, a range of 150 miles and could attain a maximum speed of 23 knots, with a continuous cruising speed of 20 knots. During the early part of the war, a few of this type were armed and fitted out for Air Sea Rescue duties. ST 1502 was thus fitted,
ST 1502 was the third craft of the third batch of this type to have been built by BPB as their Yard No. 1888. The craft was taken on charge by the RAF on 24.03.42 and immediately despatched to be used by 51 Air Sea Rescue Unit (AS RU) under control of Coastal Command at Penrhos and Pwllheli in Wales. The tender remained based at the unit for virtually all of her WWII service before being transferred to No 56 ASRU based at Portaferry. The allocation was recorded as 30.05.45, however ST 1502 was not received at her new base until July the same year.
Within a few months the craft was on the move to be based at Alness, in Scotland, still with Coastal Command. This allocation was dated 18.10.45 and the craft recorded as received at Alness in November 1945. Post war the ASRU's were deactivated and replaced by Marine Craft Units (MCU). Thus ST 1502 was allocated to 1100 MCU on 23 .08.46 which was based at Invergordon. In line with RAF policy at that time, most surviving wartime built seaplane tenders were "converted" or had a role change and were thus redesignated as Range Safety Launches. Several of the original Mid craft including ST 1502 were upgraded to MkIA specification in the early 1950's. ST 1502 was taken in hand at 238 Maintenance Unit (MU), Calshot on 17.5.50 for conversion on authority dated 14.2.50 (A73418). On completion RSL 1502 was returned to be based at Invergordon/Alness until she became surplus at the end of 1955. The craft was stricken off charge by the RAF on 31.12.55 and subsequently offered for disposal as lying at the RAF base at Calshot.
It came out of RAF service in the mid 1950s and went into private hands to be converted to a pleasure craft. It gave some fine service in this capacity but eventually fell into disrepair. It was taken on by British Military Powerboat Trust in the late 1990s to he restored to its former glory.
On the 18th July 2009, ST 1502 left Marchwood, her home for many years, en route to her new home in Portsmouth. She was crewed by those members of the BMPT who had given so many years of their lives to restoring her. On arrival she was berthed at the pontoon just inside the Historic Dockyard gate, where she was handed over to the PNBP Trust.
For photographs of the restoration see:
www.bmpt.org.uk/pnbpt_historic_boats/ST-1502/index3.htm
1502
Photographed at Portsmouth on 31 July 2010
Designed by the master of fast craft marine architects, George Selman, some 54 of this type were built as Mid craft by British Power Boats between 1940 & 1943, and 27 were later built to the slightly improved MkIA specification. Eight of the Mk1 craft, including both craft on display at Marchwood, were subsequently converted to the MkIA specification. Post war a further 6 craft were built by Thornycroft to plans supplied by the Air Ministry, obtained from British Power Boat when they closed down. Like his larger 68ft HSL (the Hants & Dorset), Selman's ST was to become the standard craft of its type post war. The 41½ ft ST's were also known as the "Broad Beam" type and they were redesignated as Range Safety Launches (RSLs) in later service.
The hull was of wood, designed on the hard chine principle with single diagonal mahogany side planking and double diagonal bottom planking, also of mahogany, on frames. The superstructure was fabricated from wood and extended aft from the wheelhouse to the cockpit. The superstructure roof was of Flexopy, covered with canvas and supported by mahogany beams. All the craft were powered by twin Perkins S6M diesels, Meadows gearboxes and direct drive to Nickel Aluminium propellers. Later craft had a fuel capacity of 130 gallons, a range of 150 miles and could attain a maximum speed of 23 knots, with a continuous cruising speed of 20 knots. During the early part of the war, a few of this type were armed and fitted out for Air Sea Rescue duties. ST 1502 was thus fitted,
ST 1502 was the third craft of the third batch of this type to have been built by BPB as their Yard No. 1888. The craft was taken on charge by the RAF on 24.03.42 and immediately despatched to be used by 51 Air Sea Rescue Unit (AS RU) under control of Coastal Command at Penrhos and Pwllheli in Wales. The tender remained based at the unit for virtually all of her WWII service before being transferred to No 56 ASRU based at Portaferry. The allocation was recorded as 30.05.45, however ST 1502 was not received at her new base until July the same year.
Within a few months the craft was on the move to be based at Alness, in Scotland, still with Coastal Command. This allocation was dated 18.10.45 and the craft recorded as received at Alness in November 1945. Post war the ASRU's were deactivated and replaced by Marine Craft Units (MCU). Thus ST 1502 was allocated to 1100 MCU on 23 .08.46 which was based at Invergordon. In line with RAF policy at that time, most surviving wartime built seaplane tenders were "converted" or had a role change and were thus redesignated as Range Safety Launches. Several of the original Mid craft including ST 1502 were upgraded to MkIA specification in the early 1950's. ST 1502 was taken in hand at 238 Maintenance Unit (MU), Calshot on 17.5.50 for conversion on authority dated 14.2.50 (A73418). On completion RSL 1502 was returned to be based at Invergordon/Alness until she became surplus at the end of 1955. The craft was stricken off charge by the RAF on 31.12.55 and subsequently offered for disposal as lying at the RAF base at Calshot.
It came out of RAF service in the mid 1950s and went into private hands to be converted to a pleasure craft. It gave some fine service in this capacity but eventually fell into disrepair. It was taken on by British Military Powerboat Trust in the late 1990s to he restored to its former glory.
On the 18th July 2009, ST 1502 left Marchwood, her home for many years, en route to her new home in Portsmouth. She was crewed by those members of the BMPT who had given so many years of their lives to restoring her. On arrival she was berthed at the pontoon just inside the Historic Dockyard gate, where she was handed over to the PNBP Trust.
For photographs of the restoration see:
www.bmpt.org.uk/pnbpt_historic_boats/ST-1502/index3.htm